Career and Education Opportunities for Carpet Installers in Miami, Florida

There is a wide variety of career and education opportunities for carpet installers in the Miami, Florida area. There are currently 3,360 working carpet installers in Florida; this should grow by 13% to 3,790 working carpet installers in the state by 2016. This is better than the national trend for carpet installers, which sees this job pool shrinking by about 1.1% over the next eight years. Carpet installers generally lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors.

The income of a carpet installer is about $13 per hour or $27,240 annually on average in Florida. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $17 per hour or $37,030 annually on average. Compared with people working in the overall category of Home and Office Installation, people working as carpet installers in Florida earn less. They earn less than people working in the overall category of Home and Office Installation nationally.

The Miami area is home to ninety-eight schools of higher education, including one within twenty-five miles of Miami where you can get a degree as a carpet installer. The most common level of education for carpet installers is less than a high school diploma. You can expect to spend only a short time training to become a carpet installer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Carpet Installer

Carpet Installer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, carpet installers lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors. They also install padding and trim flooring materials.

Carpet installers cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer. They also inspect surfaces to be covered to establish condition, and correct any imperfections that might show through carpets or cause carpets to wear unevenly. Equally important, carpet installers have to lay carpet on floors using adhesive, following prescribed methods. They are often called upon to trim carpet padding to size and lay padding, following prescribed methods. They are expected to fasten metal treads across door openings or where carpet meets flooring to hold carpet in position. Finally, carpet installers take measurements and study floor sketches to calculate areas to be carpeted and the amounts of material needed.

Every day, carpet installers are expected to be able to lift, push and move large and heavy objects. They need to twist and stretch their arms and legs to get work done.

It is important for carpet installers to take measurements and study floor sketches to calculate areas to be carpeted and the amounts of material needed. They are often called upon to nail tack strips around areas to be carpeted or use old strips to attach edges of new carpet. They also draw building diagrams and record dimensions. They are sometimes expected to stretch carpet to align with walls and insure a smooth surface, and press carpet in position over tack strips or use staples, tape, tacks or glue to hold carpet in position. Somewhat less frequently, carpet installers are also expected to fasten metal treads across door openings or where carpet meets flooring to hold carpet in position.

They also have to be able to move furniture from areas to be carpeted and remove old carpet and padding and trim and bind material. And finally, they sometimes have to move furniture from areas to be carpeted and remove old carpet and padding.

Like many other jobs, carpet installers must be thorough and dependable and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Miami include:

Insulation Installer. Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Carpet Installer Training

Miami Lakes Educational Center - Miami Lakes, FL

Miami Lakes Educational Center, 5780 NW 158th St, Miami Lakes, FL 33014. Miami Lakes Educational Center is a small school located in Miami Lakes, Florida. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 1,376 students. Miami Lakes Educational Center has a less than one year program in Construction Trades, Other Specialties.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida photo by Averette

Miami is located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It has a population of over 413,201, which has grown by 14.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Miami, 140, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Miami cost $273,500 on average, which is near the state average. In 2008, thirty-seven new homes were built in Miami, down from seventy-three the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Miami are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is construction, accommodation and food services, and administrative and support and waste management services. The average travel time to work is about 28 minutes. More than 16.2% of Miami residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.7%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Miami is 12.5%, which is greater than Florida's average of 11.3%.

The percentage of Miami residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.6%, is less than both the national and state average. Church of Resurrection, Church of the Ascension and Church of the Incarnation are all churches located in Miami. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Miami is home to the Edison West Little River Neighborhood Center and the Miamarina South Pier Light as well as Belle Meade Park and 54th Street Mini Park. Shopping malls in the area include Central Shopping Center, Northside Mall and Northside Shopping Center. Visitors to Miami can choose from AmeriSuites Miami / Kendall, Four Seasons Hotel Miami and Airways Airport Inn & Suites for temporary stays in the area.